Camelot (1967) New Edition Needed~!

Ethan Riley · 11-17-2006, 04:45 PM

It's high time for a new edition of Camelot. The current dvd is botched and miserable, to say the least. There is a thread that describes the many audio problems on the current release. Apparently the music was either remixed or rescored somewhat in the 90s, and not very well. The picture quality is okay, but there is doubt as to the aspect ratio. What we need is:

--A new pristine transfer

--Either a restored 1967 audio, or optional 90s version

--New extras. Some interviews with the surviving cast members and other participants would be nice.

--Audio commentary with those same participants.

--Whatever else is lying around-- are there any known deleted scenes? Outtakes? Anything at all?

--A retrospective on the history of the legend of King Arthur, including his many prose and film adaptations down through the centuries, up to "The Once and Future King," which "Camelot" is based upon.

--A look back at the Broadway production. I know there are clips from the "Ed Sullivan Show" which starred Julie Andrews and Richard Burton.

--Do you know what would be nicest? If they made it a two-disc special edition and included the 1982 t.v. play version which also starred Richard Harris. It was taped at the Winter Garden in New York during a Camelot revival. This was 2 1/2 hours long, and aired on HBO. I haven't seen it since, but I do remember it was quite wonderful, and in some ways better than the actual movie!

MatthewA · 11-17-2006, 05:10 PM

The film is going to be on HDNet movies tomorrow morning at 9:45 AM Eastern time.

Greg_M · 11-17-2006, 06:43 PM

Camelot looks okay on DVD. SOme scenes do have a low bit rate - esp the end of act one.

The sound is another story. Not the original scoring and the dialogue is terribly out of sync at many points - Esp when Arthur meets Lancelot.

A 2-disc set would be welcome. I'd buy one. commentaries would be great but I think only actors Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero are still alive. All production and other actors have passed on (Lionel Jeffries many still be with us)

AlanP · 11-18-2006, 12:18 PM

This was a filmed that suffered from terrible miscasting.
Richard Burton and Julie Andrews, should have been secured for the film version. I wonder what other actors/actresses were considered. This should have been an AMAZING film. It was not up to what it could have been. There were any variety of people that could have been leads. Vanessa Redgrave was a poor choice.

MatthewA · 11-18-2006, 03:01 PM

According to the IMDB file on Richard Harris, Richard Burton (one of Harris's drinking buddies for years) turned it down.

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Paul Borges · 11-18-2006, 04:40 PM

No argument from me! A new release would be very welcome. And I liked the casting choices (except Lancelot). Redgrave is sexier than Andrews and I think the part calls for that.

Greg_M · 11-18-2006, 06:16 PM

Both Burton and Andrews turned the film down. Burton because he wanted to only work with his then wife Elizabeth Taylor. Andrews didn't see the point in filming it if Burton hasn't in it so she also passed (This was the time when Julie Andrews was the first chocie for almost every film being made at the time - 1966) If they wanted to to it they would have done it. I like the film and think Harris was very good and Redgrave was sexy and the role needed that.

Ethan Riley · 11-18-2006, 08:00 PM

She was sexy; if Julie Andrews had done it, it wouldn't have been so sultry and steamy lol. But it would have been closer to the tone of the Broadway version, simply because the script would have had to be tailored to Andrews' good-girl persona (Julie Andrews is almost always appalling whenever she tries to be sexy). Lionel Jeffries is still alive--he's 80, and most people don't realize he was only about 40 when he starred in Camelot and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang--he was actually a little younger than Dick Van Dyke, who was playing his son!

DeeF · 11-18-2006, 10:59 PM

Vanessa Redgrave herself said "If Julie Andrews had wanted the role, she surely would be in it."

Mark B · 11-18-2006, 11:27 PM

I think Redgrave is one of the best things in the film, and Richard Harris is amazing as Arthur. I have never understood what people find so amiss with this film.

Paul Borges · 11-18-2006, 11:32 PM

I thought they had great chemistry!